The Bone Collector

Chapter: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Chapter Five

It was just like living in a nightmare. All the fears and doubts Jack had as a child came flooding back to him as he saw his long lost friend standing before him. Growing up there were times when Jack thought about what would happen if Grim suddenly walked back into his life, unharmed by the events over twenty years ago. He thought he'd be happy to be reunited with his old friend, but sadly that was not the case. For the skeleton standing before him was no longer the mischievous, fun-loving friend Jack remembered. His eye sockets held a disturbing madness, his face twisted in a hideous grin of satisfaction. Grim gave the chain a sharp tug, causing the links to tighten around Jack's ribcage. He winced in pain as he felt the strain on his bones.

"G-grim..." he managed to choke out. "How...why?"

Grim let out a dark chuckle. "Isn't this lovely?" he mocked, his voice raspy and strained. "Two best buddies, reuniting after so many years of separation. I've been looking forward to this day for a long, long time, Jack!"

"But this doesn't make any sense! The Bone Collector..."

"Never existed! You still haven't figured it out, have you? There was never a Bone Collector, Jack! Your father was right. It was just some stupid story to scare kids, especially little brats like you!"

Grim's voice dripped with such anger that Jack found himself getting goose bumps. He shook his head in disbelief, fighting back the tears. "How could you do this to me, Grim? All this time I thought you were dead!"

"What I did to you? What about what you did to me!" Grim yanked the chain again, causing Jack to groan in pain. "Do you have any idea what it was like being friends with you? Everybody always loved you, Jack! The Pumpkin Prince, the future leader of Halloween, the small bony wonder! And what was I, your loyal, faithful friend? Nothing but another face in the crowd. It's very hard to shine in the spotlight when someone's shadow is standing in your way!"

Jack struggled to pull his good arm free, but the chains made it impossible. He had to keep Grim talking, it was the only way to think of an escape plan. "Grim, me becoming Pumpkin King was inevitable. It was my birthright, you knew that!"

Grim chortled. "Oh yes, Jack, I knew that. The whole town knew. Every day I was reminded of how Jack would be the next great Pumpkin King! It drove me crazy!" Grim's head dropped and, for an instant, his face lost the look of madness and was replaced by a depressed scowl. "Just once, I wanted people to look at me and be proud of what they saw. The only thing they saw was a troublemaker, constantly playing jokes and getting into one scrape or another. Nothing I did was ever good enough...for anyone."

Jack felt his heart go out to his friend, hoping that he could still talk some sense into him. "Grim, I never knew you..."

Grim's head snapped up again, the insanity once again plastered on his face. "But then I knew that you weren't good enough, either! Your fear of the Bone Collector was our little secret, remember? That's when I came up with an idea that would not only show the town what a fraud you were, but would finally give me the credit I deserved! I knew how desperate you were to prove yourself to your father, Jack. You were so ashamed of your fear. And so, as a dear friend, I decided it was time you went face-to-face with your phobia. After spending weeks on the costume, I hid my Bone Collector guise in the Hinterlands, then encouraged you to go hunting with me.

"Once I lost you, I quickly went to my hiding place and prepared myself for the greatest performance of my life! It's quite interesting how a tree stump will make you look so much taller than you really are. And the look on your face; the fear, the panic, the utmost terror from the future Pumpkin King! I've never had a prouder moment than seeing you running away, crying for your daddy. All that was left to do was wait until I had been missing long enough, then come back to town with the sickle chain, telling everyone how I survived the attack and defeated the Bone Collector. Then, at long last, I'd be the hero instead of you."

"But what about the search party?" asked Jack. "My father must've had half the town looking for you!"

"Good question. You see, Jack, I made a little discovery that night. Did you know that there's a bottomless gorge on the other side of the Hinterlands? It's where the town's sewer system empties out. I knew it'd be the perfect hiding spot while those fools wasted their time looking for me. As they searched, I decided to sneak back into town and see how people were finally coping their beloved Pumpkin Prince...that's when I heard them. A small group of townsfolk had gathered near the fountain and were talking about the incident. They were saying how bad they felt for your and what a brave boy you were. And what they say about me? They said that I had what was coming to me! How I was always getting into trouble and brought this on myself!"

Grim started to breathe harder as the chain shook in his hands. "It was then I knew that no matter what I did, I would never get the praise I rightly deserved. You hadn't even done anything and people were patting you on the back! As long as nothing happened to the Pumpkin King, then they didn't care what happened to his friends!"

"That's not true, Grim!" Jack cried. "You have no idea how that night effected me! I had never been so..."

"Scaaared?" cooed Grim. "Yes...you were scared, weren't you Jack? It's rather ironic, really. Everyone in town always thought that being Pumpkin King was the greatest honor anyone could get. But they were wrong. An even greater honor was being a Pumpkin King's fear! When I heard the true feelings of the town, I had my epiphany! I would become the one thing you feared most: the Bone Collector! For years I spent hidden in the Hinterlands, perfecting my role with each passing day." Grim's fingers lightly traced the crack on his face. "As you can see, it isn't easy mastering the sickle chain, but it was worth it. And the sewer system made an excellent secret passage into town to stock up on food and supplies. With all the freaks that live in that place, I blended right in. Not that I was ever really noticed before..."

"All right, Grim..." said Jack slowly. "You won. You scared me. You embarrassed me in front of the whole town. Now let me go!"

Grim continued to stare at Jack, giggling insanely. "Oh no, Jack. Humiliating you and exposing the truth was only part of my plan. Now that I have you in my possession, I'm going to do what I did to that scrawny little skeleton, only I won't be so merciful. After all, I am the Bone Collector!"

Jack was beginning to panic. Grim clearly lost his mind and reasoning with him was close to impossible. Still, he had to try. "Grim, listen to me! It doesn't have to be like this! There has to be another way!"

Grim rubbed his chin as if contemplating something. "You know, Jack, you're right. It doesn't have to be like this. After all, we do have our history and it is rather unfair. Tell you what I'll do. I'll give you a choice. Either I rip your bones apart and grind them into dust or I let you go...after giving me your crown."

"What?"

Using the chain to pull himself closer, Grim leaned in close and stared deeply into Jack's face. "Step down as Pumpkin King and run away! Run far, far away and never come back. You don't have to worry about the town. I know what makes Halloween frightening and I'll be sure do my job as its leader. Think about it, Jack. How can you face the town after what happened? They'll never think the same about you again. Me, on the other, I have no fears! I'd make a much better Pumpkin King! What do you say, Jackie? Step down and be spared the shame or face your worst fear and loose?"

Jack didn't say anything. Grim did have a point. It would be very hard to face the town after what happened. He remembered the looks on their faces as they stared at him in disbelief. Nothing would ever be the same after this.

"You're right, Grim," he said softly. "I can't change what happened or what people think about me, but there's a fine line between being afraid and being a coward. In other words...I'm not going anywhere!"

Grim's eyes widened in shock, but then his face went hard once again. "Famous last words. Doesn't matter. Either way, the title of Pumpkin King will be mine!"

Grim pulled the blade out from the tree and, with a few swings of his arm, the sickle chain unwrapped and sent Jack to the ground, exhausted with pain. Grim stood over him, swirling the sickle chain above his head. The sound of the blade cutting the air froze Jack to the spot. He knew that the minute he made a dash for his Soul Robber, Grim would strike. Escape was futile.

"Sorry it had to come to this, Jack," Grim said loudly over the noise. "Is there anything else you'd like to say before I rip you apart?"

"I've got something to say!"

Grim looked behind him just in time to see a bright, green flash erupt in his face. A strong force whipped his body, sending him flying into the trees. The skeleton slumped against the tree, clearly stunned. Near the edge of the clearing, Sally gripped Jack's hand as the Soul Robber retracted.

Sally turned to Jack, who was getting back on his feet. "Jack! Catch!" Sally tossed the hand and Soul Robber over to Jack who caught it neatly, then hinged the joints back together.

Jack rushed over and grabbed Sally's arm, pulling her away from the scene. "We have to leave. Now!"

Jack and Sally raced through the Hinterlands, searching desperately for the path that led back home. Although the trees were dense all around, Jack saw a small area slightly thinner up ahead. Jack and Sally ran towards it, but instead of seeing the blessed sight of Spiral Hill, they saw a large crack in the ground. Jack quickly skidded to a halt just inches from the edge. He and Sally peered over the edge and saw nothing but darkness. Below them was a steady flow of filthy water from the sewer system. Jack scanned the trees far across the other side to see if any of the branches could be used as a hook for his Soul Robber. Unfortunately, the branches were far too thin and would likely snap under the strain of the weapon.

Jack turned to see if Grim was still behind them. He saw nothing but trees. Catching his breath, he turned back to Sally. "Thanks for the save back there. Are you all right, Sally?"

Sally nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Jack, what're we going to do?"

An idea popped into Jack's head. "The gorge! Grim said that the sewer system ends here. I'll lower you down, Sally, and you follow the tunnels back to town. I'll stay here and deal with Grim."

"Jack, no! I won't leave you!"

"It's too dangerous. I used to think that the Bone Collector was the only thing in the world that could scare me, but I was wrong. The thought of loosing you, Sally...that scares me more than anything."

Sally felt her eyes well-up with tears as she looked into Jack's eyes. She saw fear, but it was different this time. It was more of concern than selfishness. "All right, Jack. Just promise me you'll be careful."

Jack nodded. He took Sally's face in his hands, lightly brushing a strand of hair away. "I'm so sorry for the way I acted before. I was so caught up in my own problems, I didn't think of what was really important. Right now, I have to stop Grim and help the town...even if I am afraid."

"Oh Jack...you'll always be fearless to me."

More than anything, Jack wished he could've stayed that way with Sally forever. Just looking into her eyes gave him all the strength and courage he'd ever need. Jack slowly brought Sally's face closer so he could kiss her one last time before battle.

Whoosh!

Before their lips touched, the sickle chain yanked Sally away in the blink of an eye. Grim leapt forward and grabbed the rag doll. He threw one arm tightly around her chest as he held the sickle blade under her chin. He pressed his face close to hers as he glared at Jack. "Aww, how touching! Jack has a little sweetheart. Aren't you a bit old to be playing with dolls?"

"Let her go!" Jack shouted. He gave the Soul Robber a sharp whip as he prepared to strike.

"Uh uh uh!" Grim said mocking. "You wouldn't want to hurt your pretty friend now, would you?"

Jack's jaw clenched as he struggled to resist striking Grim. There was no way he'd be able to attack without harming Sally. "Your fight's with me, Grim! Leave Sally out of this!"

Sally winced as Grim tightened his grip. "My offer still stands, you know. If you want, I can sweeten the deal a little. Step down as Pumpkin King and your girlfriend won't be adding any stitches to her collection."

"Don't do it, Jack!" Sally cried. "I'm not worth it!"

Jack gazed at his beloved sadly. "Yes you are, Sally..." he said softly. "More than life itself." Jack let the arm holding the Soul Robber go limp at his side. The green glob slowly unwound itself, then dropped to the ground. "The title is yours, Grim. Now let Sally go!"

Grim threw back his head and laughed hysterically. "Oh Jack! You always were so naïve! I said I wouldn't hurt her...I didn't say anything about letting her go. I'll give you credit for one thing, Jack: you have excellent taste in women. She'd be a perfect Pumpkin Queen, wouldn't you say?"

Jack's anger boiled as he watched Sally struggle against Grim's grasp. This time, he wasn't going to let him get away with it. But just as he was reaching for the Soul Robber, Grim, with lightning reflexes, struck Jack with the sickle chain, knocking him backwards. Sally screamed as she saw Jack disappear over the edge into the gorge.

"Jack!" she cried, desperately trying to wiggle out of Grim's hold, but he was already dragging her to the edge. Luckily, Jack had not fallen. He was able to grab a protruding root from the rock's wall. Bits of dirt crumbled away as Jack struggled to pull himself up.

Grim chuckled devilishly as he peered down at his adversary. "Now don't think I'm not being true to my word, Jack. I said I'd let you go far, far away and you can't go any farther than down there." Grim sighed as he pressed his face against Sally's cheek. "Oh, what a glorious day! I've been crowned Pumpkin King, I have a beautiful queen at my side, and in a few moments I'll have my revenge that I've been planning for over twenty years."

"Halloween...will never...be yours!" Jack said, his arms aching as he struggled to stay up.

"It is already is mine. Now what's say we end this cliffhanger once and for all." Grim lifted the sickle chain over his head grinning madly at the helpless skeleton. "Good bye, Jack Skellington!"

Just as Grim was about to strike, a loyal ghost dog pounced on the unsuspecting assassin and bit him in the arm. Although an apparition, Zero held a firm grip as he pulled Grim away from the ledge. Grim released his hold on Sally and turned his attention on Zero. "Get off me, you stupid mutt!" Soon another member joined the fight as Wicca leapt on Grim's chest, scratching his face ruthlessly.

While the animals kept Grim distracted, Sally laid down on the ledge and reached for Jack. It wasn't long before Jack was back on firm ground and hugging Sally tightly.

Grim was finally able to get Wicca off his face and flung Zero from his arm. Blind with fury, he prepared to attack the two animals when he felt the sickle chain get ripped from his hands. He looked to see Jack standing before him with the Soul Robber on one arm and the sickle chain in the other.

"Just like the legend says, Grim," said Jack. "When the Bone Collector looses his sickle chain, he disappears...forever!"

For the first time since their encounter, Grim was afraid. He tried to run away, but Zero and Wicca advanced towards him, growling menacingly. The Bone Collector had no choice to but to fall to his knees and beg for mercy.

"Jack! Please, don't kill me!" he sobbed. "We were friends, remember?"

"You're right, Grim," Jack growled, "we were friends."

Jack grabbed Grim by the collar and lifted him up so that they were face to face. His anger gave him a demonic aura that would give even the bravest nightmares. "Get out!" was all he said before tossing the petrified skeleton to the ground.

Shaking all over, Grim got to his feet and crept away. His head hung low and his shoulders hunched, he looked back at Jack. "Very impressive, Jack," he said meekly. "I can see why you're the Pumpkin King. And you were right...taking away my sickle chain does leave me helpless. That's why I always carry a spare!"

From beneath his cloak, Grim pulled out a second sickle chain, just as strong as the first. Letting out a blood curdling cry, Grim ran and leapt towards Jack as he gripped the sickle tightly at the hilt. Jack pushed Sally away as Grim leapt on him. The two skeletons struggled on the ground, Jack holding onto Grim's wrist to keep him from striking. Jack dodged his head just in time as the blade struck the ground. He then tucked his long legs under his attacker and kicked Grim into the air, casting him into the darkness of the gorge. Grim's screams echoed off the cave walls as the blackness swallowed him.

Panting, Jack crawled over to the edge and gazed into the gorge. He shut his eyes tightly as a few tears grazed his cheeks. Sally placed her arms around Jack's shoulders in hopes to comfort him. "Grim..." Jack said softly.

The Bone Collector had finally been defeated.

Chapter: 1 2 3 4 5 6